Automatic gate.



R. M. KING.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

APPLICATION man AUG.25. 1011.

1 ,27 L278. Patented July 3 l8.

3 SHEETS-SHE l.

INVENTOR WITNESSES M A'r'roRNEY R. M. KING.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25. m7.

r I I I l I I I l l l l l I II Patented J My 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 l|vl||l1lbllllllllllvbllllllll WITNESSES ATTORNEY R. M. KING.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25. I9I7 1 ,274,278. Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ROBERT M. KING, OF WAUNETA, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC GATE. J

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. KING, a citizen of the United States, residin at Wauneta, in the county ofChase and tate of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates and comprehends the provision of a novel construction of means for automatically opening and closing the gates, said means being actuated to open the gates by the approach of a vehicle at the gate entrance.

In carrying out my invention I provide means by which the gates can be automatically operated from either side, together with means for locking the gates in their normal closed position, with a view of preventing cattle or other live stock from forcing the gates open by bearing against the latter. I

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detail description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the gates closed and the vehicle actuated elements in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gate operating mechanism, showing the gates by dotted lines in opened position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the locking mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in detail A and B respectively indicate a pair of swingingly mounted gates, the mechanism for actuating the gates being disposed beneath the ground or surface, with the exception of the vehicle actuated elements which project a slight distance above the ground as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The mechanism is arranged within a housing preferably of the design shown, which is in the form of a cross, including a longitudinally disposed branch 10 and a transversely disposed branch 11. Eachv of the respective branches comprises a bottom Application filed August 25, 1917. Serial No. 188,103.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

12 and vertically disposed spaced parallel walls 13, acrosswhich is removably secured a top 14:. Risin from the extremities of the transversely c isposed branch 11 are uprights 15 which are connected by means of a cross piece 16 defining the gate opening or entrance, the gates A and B being swingingly mounted within the opening defined by these parts, and normally closed. The gate posts 17 are mounted for partial rotation between the cross piece 16 and the top 14. of the transversely disposed branch of the housing as illustrated.

Rising from the base of the housing, and at the central point of intersection between the branches 10 and 11, is a pivoted bolt 18 upon which is pivotally mounted a pair of triangular shaped plates 19 and 20 respectively the said plates being disposed in superimposed relation, and held spaced through the instrumentality of a sleeve 21 which is fitted upon the pivot bolt 18 and interposed between the respective plates. The plates 18 and 20 are pivotally mounted at a point approximately midway along one of their straight edges, while connected with each of the two most remote corners of each plate is a rod 22, the rods of each plate extending in the direction of one of the gate posts 17 and disposed in parallelism.

The gate posts 17 project below the top 14: of the housing, the projecting extremity of each having fixed thereon a cog wheel 23, which is horizontally disposed, and about which is trained a chain 24, the terminals of the chain being connected with the adjacent extremities of the rods 22. The plates 19 and 20 are mounted to swing about their pivot in relatively reverse directions, and the manner of manipulating the plates will be hereinafter fully described. With this fact borne in mind however it will be noted that when the plates are thus moved about their pivot the rods 22 for each gate are reciprocated in relatively reverse directions, while the corresponding rods of the respective pairs of rods move toward and away from each other, an operation which results in the swinging of both gates in a common direction to an opened position. It is of course understood that when the rods 22 are reciprocated, or actuated in the manner described, the chains 24 are drawn about the cog wheels 23, rotating the latter, which of course swing the gates in the manner stated.

Arranged to reciprocate in the longitudione and corresponding branches of the respective rods being connected to the plate 19 at a point directly opposite the pivot therefor, while the remaining and corresponding branches of said rods 25 are connected to the plate 20- at the same'location. By reason of this fact the plates 19 and 20 respectively are simultaneously swung upon their pivot, so that both the gates A and B are moved in unison to either their opened or closed position. A lever 27 is pivotally mounted adjacent the outer extremity of each rod 25', and is also pivotally connected with said outer extremity of said rods, the levers 27 projecting above the ground or surface in the path of movement of a vehicle approaching the gates, so that'when the lever 27 of one of the rods 25 is moved upon its pivot in the direction of the gates, both of the rods 25 will be moved in unison in a direction to impart movement to the plates 19 and 20 in relatively reverse directions,

' whereupon the gates A and B will be simultaneously swung outwardly to an open position. Pivotally connected with the rod 25 at the point of juncture of the rod with its branches 26, is a second lever"29 which also projects a slight distance above the ground or surface to operate in unison with the lever 27. The levers 27 and 29 for this purpose are connected together through the instrumentality of a bar 30.

In practice, the vehicle passes over the levers 27 and 29 when approaching the gate entrance, and as the axle of the vehicle is brought into engagement with the lever 27 the latter is moved upon its pivot in the direction ofthe gates A and B, whereupon the gates are swung in the same direction to an open position in the manner hereinabove described. The axle of the vehicle then engages the bar 30 moving along the latter,

' fore the gates are automatically closed. For

this purpose a coil spring 31- encircles each rod 25, the spring having one end bearing against a plate 82' fixed between the side wallsl iw, while the opposite endof'the spring bears against a nut "33 carried by the bar.

The construction and arrangement of parts at opposite sides of the gates considering the latter in their normal closed position, is identically the same, and consequently the operation of the parts in the opening of the gates is the same, irrespective of which side the gates are opened. The top 14.- for the housing is of course provided with elongated slots 34 to permit of the proper movement of the levers 27 and 29.

With a view of locking the gates intheir normal closed position, I provide a lever 35 which is pivotally mounted upon the lever 27, and provided with a right angular'extension; 36. The right angular extension is pi-votally connected with one extremity of a locking dog 37, through the instrumentality of a link 38, the locking dog 37 being pivotally mounted upon the lever 27 adjacent the lower extremity of the latter. A spring 39 is interposed between the levers 27" and 35 to normally maintain the latter separated, and the locki-ngdog arranged adjacent the shoulder 40 formed on a fixed element 41. VVith these parts intheir normal position, it is obvious that the gates A and 13 cannot be swung to an opened position, thus preventing cattle or the like from entering the gates by bearing again-st the latter. A-slight movement of-the gates in an e-fiort to open them will cause the dog 3.7 to engage the shoulder 40. However when a vehicle approaches the gate, the lever 35 being disposed in advance of the lever 27, is first engaged by the axle of the vehicle, and moved toward the lever 27 against the action of the spring 39; During this movement of the lever 35 movement is imparted to the dog 37 in a direction whereby the actuating extremi-ty of the dog is movedupwardlyabove the shoulder 40. Of course, duringthe continued movement of the vehicle, the axle thereof is brought into engagement-with the lever 27, and the'latter and lever' 35' are moved as a unit in the direction of thegat'es, to swing the latter to an opened positionin the manor hereinabove fully described.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the-invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that whatis herein shown and described constitutes one embodiment of the invention, which I do not consider restrictive, and that such changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be resortedto when desired as fall within the scope of whatis claimed.

What is claimed is 1; The combination with a pair of swing inggates, of amechanism disposed beneath theground' for moving said gates to an open position, said mechanism including a vehi cle actuated element projecting above the ground, 1 means for locking saidgates in closed position and said means including a vehicle actuated: element pivotally mounted upon the afore-mentioned element and yieldable means for normally holding the element of the locking mechanism in advance of the first mentioned element to be initially engaged by the vehicle to effect a release of said gates.

2. The combination with a pair of swinging gates, of a mechanism disposed beneath the ground for moving said gates to an open position, said mechanism including a vehicle actuated element projecting above the ground, means for locking said gates in position, and including a fixed element, a movable element pivoted upon the vehicle actuated element, a locking dog carried by said movable element to engage the fixed element, and means for holding the movable element in advance of the vehicle actuated element to be initially engaged by the vehicle to effect a release of the gates.

3. The combination with a pair of swinging gates, of a mechanism for controlling the movement of said gates, and including a pair of spaced vertically disposed elements pivoted at a point between their ends, a

rod connecting the lower extremities of said elements, a bar connecting the upper extremities of said elements, a connection between said rod and gates whereby the latter are moved to open position upon moving of said rod in one direction, one of said elements being disposed in the path of travel of the vehicle to be engaged by the latter whereby said elements and red are actuated to open said ates, a spring encircling said rod and oper. le to automatically return the gates to their normal positions subsequent to the passing of the vehicle through the gate-way, and means for locking said gates in closed positions.

4. The combination with a pair of gate posts mounted for partial rotation and a gate carried by each post, of a pair of oppositely disposed triangular shaped plates,

said plates having their straight edge dis- L posed in spaced superimposed relation, a pivot passed through both of said plates adjacent the straight edges thereof, rods projecting from the remote corners of said plates in a direction of said gate-post, a cog-wheel carried by each post, a chain trained over each of said wheels and having its ends connected with the adjacent extremi ties of said rods whereby the gates are IXlOWld to an open position upon the reverse movement of said plates, means for actuating said plates and including a vehicle actuated element.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT M. KING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

